A forest of Christmas trees has sprouted and an army of Nutcrackers has reported for duty in the Marietta home of former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes and his wife, Marie, as they prepare for a holiday visit from thousands of their closest friends.
The Barnes home, built a few years ago in keeping with the style of Marietta’s historic neighborhoods, is part of this year’s Marietta Pilgrimage home tour. Marie Barnes started getting ready in August for the December tour. A galaxy of twinkling lights, luminous snow globes, a heavenly host of angels, miles of ribbon and more ornaments than you can count are already in place.
“I’ve always wanted to do the tour,” said Barnes, who decorates for holidays throughout the year. Each yuletide season ushers in a bountiful display of festive finery, and she’s excited about welcoming the community this year.
“For the most part, I do (all the decorating),” said Barnes, who does rely on hired handy folk for the heaviest holiday lifting, such as tree delivery and decoration placement on the tallest branches.
Regular tourgoers may recall that the Barnes home hosted the Pilgrimage preview gala a few years ago, a soiree that suddenly became a dimly lit affair when the power went out. The ever prepared former first lady of Georgia promptly broke out her stash of glow sticks and the party resumed without a hitch.
There should be no need to break them out this year, though.
“We have done a power upgrade,” she said.
The Marietta Pilgrimage is just one of a slew of upcoming holiday home tours sure to put visitors in a festive mood. On the opposite end of the power-grid spectrum, the Northeast Georgia Earth Home Tour, planned for 11 a.m to 4 p.m. Nov. 22, will feature a look at the super sustainable home of Rosemary Kimble and Andrew Hickman.
“We got interested in living this way when the economy hit rock bottom,” said Hickman, who did a tour of duty in corporate America years ago, and sold his interest in a foam installation company more recently. He still works in home remodeling. “We wanted to sustain ourselves.”
After studying with a New Mexico architect who specializes in ultra-eco friendly dwellings, Hickman combined his homebuilding expertise and interest in living sustainably. The home he and Kimble, an artist, share, is “code compliant and building permissible” but is extra earth-friendly.
“We get all our water from the sky,” Hickman said. “We get our electricity from the sun and wind.”
Don’t look for any massive display of automated festive finery, but there will be holiday cheer.
“Since we have electricity we might put a few Christmas lights up,” Hickman said.
In Norcross, organizers are looking forward to the Historic Norcross Holiday Tour of Homes. The event was held annually for years but went on hiatus for a while when the economy took a downturn. The tour returns this year amid a perking-up business climate.
“It’s a great kickoff to the holiday season,” said Cindy Flynn of event management firm Splash Festivals. “It puts everyone in a festive holiday mood.”
Here are details on some area holiday tours:
The New Earth Home Tour, offering a look at the super sustainable home of Rosemary Kimble and Andrew Hickman, is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 22. Donations are accepted. 3015 Wildcat Bridge Road, Royston. Details: facebook.com/events/740292682691559.
The Midtown Tour of Homes, Dec. 6, features homes on the eastern side of Midtown, including one profiled in the Atlanta Journal Constitution (see photo gallery). $25; $20 in advance. Advance tickets can be picked up at Grace on Ponce, which is also part of the tour. mdtowntourofhomes.com
The Marietta Pilgrimage, Dec. 6-7, features six private homes and a number of historic buildings. Host committee tickets for the preview gala, held from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Whitlock Inn, are $250 per couple. Tour hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 6, 7 to 9:30 p.m Dec. 6, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 7. Day tour tickets are $20 and evening tour tickets are $15. Combination tickets are $25. See mariettapilgrimage.com for details.
The Peachtree Garden Club Christmas Home Tour, planned for 10 a.m to 3 p.m. Dec. 11, will feature four Buckhead homes. Details are still being confirmed. Check with peachtreegardenclub.org/christmas-home-tour.html closer to the date for specifics.
The 34th annual Grant Park Candlelight Tour of Homes is planned for 6 to 10 p.m. Dec. 13-14. A number of private homes in addition to the Burns Mansion and St. Paul United Methodist Church, notable for its neo-Romanesque sanctuary, stained glass windows and pipe organ from the 1880s. Tour tickets are $20 but a number of free activities are held at St. Paul, located at the corner of Grant and Sydney streets, in conjunction with the event. A "Winter Wonderland" with activities, crafts, and visits with Santa will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Dec. 13; an artists' market and bake sale is held from 4 to 9 p.m. Dec. 13 and 6 to 9 p.m Dec. 14; and a Candlelight Christmas Concert by St. Paul UMC's Choir is planned for 5 p.m. Dec. 14. See candlelighttourofhomes.com for details.
The Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles' Home for the Holidays Designer Showhouse, a 7,200 square foot, English-style Buckhead home, will feature the decorative prowess of more than 20 top designers in the Southeast. (On AJC.com: Get a sneak peek of the Home for the Holidays Designer Showhouse.) The showhouse is open Nov. 19 through Dec. 7. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 pm. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays, closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Thanksgiving Day. The home is located at 2865 Habersham Rd NW but parking is not available on Habersham. Instead, shuttles are available from the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center, 349 Peachtree Hills Ave NE. This year's beneficiary is the Children's Learning Gardens and Farms of the Southeastern Horticultural Society. Tickets to the "Moonlight & Mistletoe" preview party, planned for 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 18, are $125. General admission tour tickets are $25, or $20 in advance. For full details see atlantaholidayhome.com.
The Historic Norcross Holiday Tour of Homes, hosted by the Downtown Development Authority of Norcross, features five private homes on Dec. 6. Daytime tour hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and candlelight tour hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the tour. See historicnorcrossholidaytourofhomes.com for details.
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